Tag Archives: promotion

Beginning next week, on Friday, January 20th, I’m going to implement a new blog feature.

Every Friday, I’ll feature a different author, blog, website, or resource, for In The Spotlight.

Author Guidelines

If you would like to be a Spotlight Author, here’s what you need to know:

You need to be published – Traditional, Digital First, Indie, or Self Pub – in any Romance Sub-Genre, though preference is given to Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Your work can be novel-length or novella, or a short story anthology, and must be geared toward Adult Readers (No Young Adult), of any heat level, from sweet to erotic. {Straight or Gay is okay, as long as the Romance is the central. Kink is acceptable, as long as sexual situations are safe, sane, consensual, and the Romance is central. [Standard No-Nos apply: No rape as arousing, no pedophilia, necrophilia (vampires don’t count), bodily wastes as arousing, bestiality (shape shifters don’t count)]} The content of your Spotlight post must be no more than R-rated (no Xs), with no full-frontal nudity.

Each Friday, an Author Spotlight will run on my blog, posting early Friday morning and staying up until Sunday morning. As a featured author, you can choose from doing an author interview; a character interview; a joint author/character interview; a guest post (500-800 word range); an excerpt (500-1500 word range); and/or a giveaway. If there’s something else you’d prefer to do, just let me know. You’re welcome to include cover images, buy links, your links (blog, website, social media, etc), a back cover blurb, and your author photo. The Friday your feature runs can be scheduled to coincide with a book release or other event. I’ll need the materials for your feature no later than the end of the day on Tuesday before your feature runs. I will send you the short link to your feature by end of the day Thursday so you can promote it as well.

You are responsible for helping to promote your Spotlight post, using non-spammy methods (no more than 4 linked updates in 24 hours for each social media platform), and links on your (and others’) site/blog. After the post runs, you are welcome to leave up links on your blog/site, and continue to use it in your promo.

Currently, each post here is visited 250-300 times. 135 members of my blogging network ReTweet the announcement Tweet for each post to just over 208K unique Twitter followers.

Still interested? Email me at kenradaniels AT gmail DOT com, with Spotlight in the subject line.

Guidelines for Blogs, Websites, and Online Resources

If your blog or website features original content that is relevant to authors, writing, books, or readers in Urban Fantasy or any Romance sub-genre (preference given to Paranormal Romance), you could be my next Spotlight feature.

The majority of the content must be actual original content, not quotes from other sites or resources, and not announcements of winners, etc. The content can be fiction, non-fiction, excerpts, reviews, articles, serialized works, etc. Some personal content is okay, but must not be the sole focus.

Your feature post will be the link to the blog/site, and a guest post, or other format previously agreed on, on whatever subject we agree on as the arrangements are made. You may include social media links, an image of your header or logo, your photo, your tagline and description. Content of your Spotlight post must be no more than R-rated, with no full-frontal nudity.

You are responsible for helping to promote your Spotlight post, using non-spammy methods (no more than 4 linked updates in 24 hours for each social media platform), and links on your (and others’) site/blog. After the post runs, you are welcome to leave up links on your blog/site, and continue to use it in your promo.

Currently, each post here is visited 250-300 times. 135 members of my blogging network ReTweet the announcement Tweet for each post to just over 208K unique Twitter followers.

Still interested? Email me at kenradaniels AT gmail DOT com, with Spotlight in the subject line.

*Note: These guidelines may change at any time without notice. I reserve the right to refuse to publish material I find objectionable, or believe my followers/readers will find objectionable.

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend on one of the writing communities I visit, and I don’t think it’s a new thing. Some of the writers there tend to be disrespectful and unprofessional with anyone who doesn’t agree with them. They pitch tantrums online over minor affronts. Things like disagreements over grammar and word use, unfavorable critiques, and differences of opinion. Rather than ignoring the person they have the disagreement with, these writers resort to namecalling and other inappropriate behavior on the forum, and often rant on their blog, naming, and calling, names.

Some act as if their opinion is the only possible one, and everyone who holds a different one is ignorant, which is by no means exclusive to writers. In a debate over including sex in fiction, several posters acted this way, on both sides of the debate. The debate grew quite heated, and one poster on the side who didn’t feel sex in fiction was appropriate said such things as “those who include sex are poor writers”. She didn’t have enough respect for her fellow writers to recognize the validity of their writing, whether she disagreed with the subject matter or not.

In another interaction, one poster corrected a phrase used by another. The one who originally posted the phrase insisted that 1.) her usage was correct when it clearly wasn’t, and several others backed up the one who corrected her, and 2.) it didn’t matter because it was a ‘casual’ post. Rather than thanking the one who corrected, her, she argued about it through the majority of a thread that grew quite long.

If I were an editor or agent checking out posts made by a prospective client, and that writer argued with someone about such a trivial thing, I’d probably look much more closely before deciding whether to work with that person. One time could be just a bad day, but a habit of stubborn resistance to correction on a message board doesn’t bode well for the writer’s acceptance of criticism or editing of their work. IMHO, such behavior is sure sign of someone who’s difficult to work with at best, and more likely unprofessional.

The solution is simple. Treat interactions about writing as a communication between professionals. Save the more casual forms of expression for more social interactions. If the other party becomes unprofessional, ignore them — no matter how exasperated and angry they make you. Write about it in your journal, but not in a public forum, where it can reflect poorly on you. Remember that the other person is as entitled to their opinion as you are. Of course, you’re entitled to defend your position, but do it in a courteous way that maintains your professional image.

When we interract online, we tend to forget that anyone who wants can watch. People get to know us by the tone of our posts on writing communities. We develop a reputation in online communities for being either professional and easy to work with, or childish and petulant, or a know-it-all, or whatever. Make sure your interactions reflect well on you. Agents, editors, and other writers don’t want to work with people whose attitude makes their job more difficult. It’s important to remember that when we interact with others online.

The solitary nature of our work often makes us forget our interdependence on other writers. By helping other writers promote their work, and giving them professional respect, we form valuable alliances in promoting our own work. Need a cover blurb? Better not ask the guy you called an idiot on a public forum 4 years ago. Positive review needed? Don’t ask the writer you delivered a scathing public critique to a few months ago.

What do you think? Do writers see their professionalism – or lack thereof – reflected in publishing opportunities or sales figures?